1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-component kit for cooking food in a microwave oven or in a thermal oven.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The rapid acceptance of microwave ovens for cooking and heating food has created a market for food preparation utensils which are uniquely useful in microwave ovens. The characteristics and limitations of microwave oven heating are well known. The disadvantages of cooking food with microwaves are set forth in MICROWAVE COOKING HANDBOOK, published by the International Microwave Power Institute, 1987, as:
1. Large quantities of food are slower cooking;
2. Crusts do not crisp;
3. Baked goods and small portions of meat do not brown;
4. No cooking designations now exist among various brands;
5. Cooking is often uneven due to the composition of foods.
The international Microwave Power Institute, ibid, lists advantages of microwave cooking as:
1. Small to medium portions of food are faster to heat or cook; a hot meal can be produced in minutes even straight from the freezer;
2. Electricity is more efficiently used; therefore, the microwave (oven) is often less expensive to use;
3. Generally less moisture evaporates from food;
4. A greater variety of cooking utensils can be used;
5. Cooking is safer than ordinary ovens;
6. There are no hot surfaces either inside or outside the oven:
7. Microwave ovens are among the safest appliances in the home;
8. Oven cavity walls remain cool, allowing easier removal of spills and spatters;
9. Vitamins and minerals are better retained in some foods, especially those needing less liquid than is required in conventional cooking;
10. The microwave is flexible and mobile; it can be moved from room-to-room and needs no special installation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,990 discloses a microwave oven baking utensil which contains the following elements:
1. an outer imperforate metal container; PA1 2. an inner metal container fitted within the outer container and having a perforated base; PA1 3. a microwave-permeable lid or cover; PA1 4. an electrically-insulating, heat-insulating container for the outer imperforate metal container. PA1 1. an imperforate outer metal pot having an outwardly extending flange on its upper rim; PA1 2. an inner metal pot having perforations in its bottom wall and optionally in its side walls, and having an outwardly extending flange on its upper rim which rests upon the flange extending from the upper rim of the outer metal pot; PA1 3. a microwave-transmissive cover (preferably glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic or high temperature resistant plastic) which has an outer rim resting upon the upper rim flange of the inner metal pot or upon the upper rim flange of the outer metal pot, or upon both flanges. PA1 1. an imperforate outer metal pot with an upper rim flange; PA1 2. an inner metal pot having perforations in its bottom wall and optionally in its side walls and adapted to fit within the imperforate outer metal pot; PA1 3. a microwave-transmissive cover which has an outer rim resting upon the upper rim flange of the outer metal pot.
The device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,990 provides a shielded chamber between the two metal containers which is surrounded by metal and thus is shielded from exposure to microwave energy. Drippings from food which is placed on the inner container will pass through the perforated base of the inner metal container into the shielded chamber for collection without significant further heating. Microwave energy penetrates the microwave-permeable lid or cover to heat the food and to drive off liquids and vapors from the food. The vapors are condensed on the inner walls of the cover and the inner container. The liquids and condensed vapors flow through the perforated base of the inner container into the shielded chamber.
The present invention comprises an improvement over the heating utensil which is described in the 3,985,990 patent.